Spaceborne sun pumped laser

ABSTRACT

An improved sun pumped laser communication system for synchronous satellites in the galactic plane is provided by mounting the sun pumped laser in a sun tracking telescope pivoted in hollow gimbals placed on the axis of rotation of the satellite. The laser beam is directed to the earth or another spacecraft receiver from the satellite by a tracking telescope also pivoted in hollow gimbals placed on the axis of rotation of the satellite. The laser beam traverses the satellite along its axis of rotation by passing through the hollow gimbals. The polarization of the laser beam is adjusted for maximum efficiency and controlled to compensate for the orientation changes between the laser and modulator by passing the beam through a polarization rotation crystal. The degree of polarization rotation is controlled in accord with the attitude of the satellite and the relative angle between the laser and the modulator. By mounting the laser in the sun tracking telescope with the laser heat sink communicating with a thermally emissive face in the side of the telescope tube, the laser is cooled by thermal radiation which is always automatically directed toward deep space.

l E Z?- s5- AU 233 EX {21 Appl. No.: 340.515

[52] US. Cl 250/199, 331/945 P [51] Int. Cl. H041) 9/00 [58] Field of Search 331/945 P, 94.5 D; 250/199, 203 R; 244/15 A, 3.16; 332/751 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,566. l26 2/1971 Lang et a1 250/199 3.566.300 2/1971 Simpson et a1. 331/945 P 3,615,135 10/1971 Frazer 250/199 X Primary Examiner-Benedict V. Safourek Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Harry A. Herbert, Jr.; Robert Kern Duncan 1 Apr. 30, 1974 [57] ABSTRACT An improved sun pumped laser communication system for synchronous satellites in the galactic plane is provided by mounting the sun pumped laser in a sun tracking telescope pivoted in hollow gimbals placed on the axis of rotation of the satellite. The laser beam is directed to the earth or another spacecraft receiver from the satellite by a tracking telescope also pivoted in hollow gimbals placed on the axis of rotation of the satellite. Tne laser beam traverses the satellite along its axis of rotation by passing through the hollow gimbals. The polarization of the laser beam is adjusted for maximum efficiency and controlled to compensate for the orientation changes between the laser and modulator by passing the beam through a polarization rotation crystal. The degree of polarization rotation is controlled in accord with the attitude of the satellite and the relative angle between the laser and the modulator. By mounting the laser in the sun tracking telescope with the laser heat sink communicating with a thermally cmissive face in the side of the telescope tube, the laser is cooled by thermal radiation which is alway automatically directed toward deep space.

5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures (on fan v- 3 0x1 ya I 1 aux/en PATENIEDAPR 30 mm SHEET 2 UF 3 SPACEBORNE SUN PUMPED LASER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The field of the invention is in the satellite communication art.

Solar (sun pumped) lasers are well known. (.15. Pat. No. 3.297.958 to patentee M. Weiner is an example of an end pumped solar laser and US. Pat. No. 3,451,0IO to patentee T. H. Maiman shows an example of a side pumped solar laser. Technical report AD-48l927 Sun-Pumped Laser by C. G. Young (1966), and Technical report AID-737787, Sun Pumped Laser" by Lloyd Huff (197?). are also examples of the prior art.

In the prior art satellite laser communication systems the laser has been located in the body of the satellite and the cooling of the laser rod has been a problem. The excess heat energy has to be removed from the laser by a cooling system within the satellite, directed by various paths through the satellite and radiated to space. For effective radiation to take place the thermal radiation must be directed in the direction of deep space". that is. at right angles to the galactic plane. This has necessitated a very complicated themial system because the satellite has its spin axis also perpendicular to the galactic plane and its attitude in space is generally constantly slowly changing. Some prior art devices have complicated optical systems for directing the sunrays onto the laser. The routing of the laser energy from the laser to the pointing telescope. directed toward the distant receiver. has also required complicated optical universal joins to direct the laser beam through the satellite and compensate for the many anaular variations.

SL'MMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention provides a sun pumped laser communication system for satellites wherein the laser element is easily cooled by direct radiation into deep space and the polarization of the laser beam is constantly maintained at the appropriate angle with respect to the modulator for all angular variations of the polarization due to the directing optics. The laser beam is directed from the laser source through the satellite to the transmitting telescope and associated optical elements along the satellite axis by using hollow gimbals.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAMNG FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of a satellite in space incorporating the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of typical hollow gimbals;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram ofa representative sun tracking telescope having Cassegrain type optics; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram ofa representative sun tracking telescope having a light concentrating cone.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. I shows a pictorial view ofa representative satellite spacecraft 11 having the disclosed invention. Generally the spacecraft is a synchronous. geostationary satellite rotating about an axis aligned with the axis of the earth such that the rotation axis is substantially perpendicular to the galactic plane. The general configurations of such spacecraft are that of a cylinder with the axis of the cylinder coinciding with the axis of rotation. The ends of the cylinder, being substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation, do not have the sun in view along the axis. In order to place the solar energy collector, that is the sun tracking telescope 13, and the laser transmitter pointing optics, that is the earth (or another satellite) tracking telescope 14, in positions of mutual non-interference. as well as being directionally independent of the synchronous spacecraft. they are placed at opposite ends of the cylindrical spacecraft pivoting in gimbals on the spacecraft axis of rotation. Each telescope has its own independent pointing system driving through its respective gimbals. By mounting the laser in the sun tracking telescope 13, which is activated to continuously point toward the sun, the cooling of the laer may readily be accomplished by having a radiating surface 15 (which is thermally connected with the laser heat sink) in the side of the telescope. Thus, the thermal radiator is automatically and without any mechanical complications always looking into deep space independent of the orientation of the spacecraft.

The optical path of the laser beam is directed through the hollow gimbals 16 and 17, and substantially along the spin axis of the pacecraft while traversing the spacecraft. This arrangement provides a laser system that is relatively independent of the spacecrafts attitude and rotation. It also eliminates the need for complicated internal directing optics.

A detailed schematic diagram of an embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 2. The sun tracking telescope 13 has conventional Cassegrain optics with primary collector mirror 21 and secondary collector mirror 22 concentrating the solar energy on the end of conventional end pumped laser rod 23. The laser has the conventional laser optics 24 and 25, and electronic system 26. The laser is maintained at 0C or below-- by a conventional heat sink that surrounds the laser rod and is thermally connected to the conventional blackbody" thermal radiator 15 radiating thermally directly into deep space. It is to be noted that with the sun tracking telescope pointing at the sun that the radiation from the thermal radiator will always be automatically directed to deep space. The area of the. thermal radiator which is mounted on the sun tracking telescope is determined by the amount of thermal power to be dissipated. For example in a specific embodiment where 20 watts of thermal energy are to be dissipated to maintain the laser rod at a temperature of 0C an area of 500 cm provided the required cooling. (With a deep space temperature of about 3K.) Those persons practicing this invention will readily adapt the area of the black-body deep space radiator to accommodate the dissipation requirements of the particular laser being used. (Obviously, other separate conventional thermal radiators may be used in the satellite to provide the necessary cooling of other on-board equipment.) Additional details of embodiments of the sun tracking telescope will be described later in connection with FIGS. 4 and 5.

The laser beam 27 from the laser is directed into the satellite body 11 along its axis of rotation 12 by the folding mirror 28. (Also see FIG. 3.) It is generally desirable that the laser beam be plane polarized to a high degree and that the orientation changes caused by reflections from the directing optics not interfere with the beam modulation. Polarization orientation modifications after beam modulation do not interfere with data transmission. Mirror 28 is referred to as a folding mirror in that its magnitude of angle of rotation is onehalf that of the angle of rotation of the telescope. This also applies to the folding mirror 29 in the receiver tracking telescope 14. Conventional laser beam modulator 30 modulates the beam in accord with the intelligence contained in the signal being transmitted to the earth or other appropriate remote receiver. An example of a suitable beam modulator element is the commercially available lithium tantalate electro-optical crystal modulator.

Polarization rotation crystal 31 is a conventional electrooptical polarization rotation crystal. The plane of polarization of the laser beam is electro-optically rotated in response to the electric field between the electrodes on the crystal. The electric field across the crystal is controlled by the onboard computer 32. A change in the voltage potential between the electrodes on the crystal changes the electric field across the crystal and hence its amount of rotation of the polarization of the beam. The polarization rotation crystal 31, which may be conventional lithium tantalate polarization rotation crystal, adjusts the plane of polarization of the laser beam to present a fixed plane of polarization of the laser beam to the modulator 30. This makes the modulation changes in the polarization of the beam brought about by the modulation crystal a true representation of the intelligence transmitted, uneffected by polarization changes taking place in the laser beam prior to the modulator. The reflection of the laser light by the folding mirror 29 causes well known modifications to.the polarization orientation of the laser beam. The polarization orientation of the laser beam at the input to crystal 31 also changes with changes in the relative angular position of the sun tracking telescope 13 with respect to the modulator. These changes and the instant relative positions are all contained in the computer information in the computer 32, and the computer supplies the voltage potential to the electrodes on the polarization rotation crystal 31 such that the laser beam entering the modulator 30 is at all times focused and critically aligned to the preferred entrance polarization of the modulation crystal.

The computer and actuation system 32 is conventional with satellite spacecraft. it receives position indication and control signal inputs and provides control signals for station keeping. positioning. attitude changing, antenna directing, switching and other on-board functions. In this invention the computer 32, in addition to these other functions, controls the angle of polarization of the laser beam entering the modulator by sensing the angular orientation of the sun tracking telescope 13, the folding mirror 29, and the preferred modulator axis and determines the appropriate voltage to crystal 31 so that the proper polarization of the laer beam is always presented to the modulator 30. It also controls the aiming of the sun tracking telescope and the receiver tracking telescope. The receiver telescope is directed toward the earth or other spacecraft receiver by the computer from the relative positioning information maintained in the computer in regard to the position of the satellite with respect to the earth and by signal information transmitted to the satellite from the earth or other receiver station. The sun tracking telescope contains a conventional sun seeker element 33, positioned in axial alignment with the axis of the telescope, that provides an electrical signal indicative of its pointing accuracy toward the sun. that is. its accuracy of axial alignment with the sun rays. The output from the sun seeker is conducted through two sets of slip rings in the gimbals 16 to the computer. The computer and drive system 32 then generates the signals that actuate the drive mechanisms to point the telescope 13 toward the sun in accord with the signals from the sun seeker element. Sun seeker and light direction detecting devices are well known. An example of a suitable sun seeker element is the "Digital Solar Aspect Sensor manufactured by the Adeoie Corporation. Generally, the sun seeker element and the secondary collector element 22 are axially mounted near the sun end of the telescope on a common spider support member.

FIG. 3 is a representative schematic diagram of an embodiment of the gimbals for the sun tracking telescope. The folding mirror 28 is located such that the center of the mirror is always maintained at the intersection of the spacecraft rotation axis 12 and the axis of the telescope 35. Servomotor 36 rotates the outer member of the gimbals about the spacecraft rotation axis and Servomotor 37 positions the telescope to the desired angle of tilt, that is, the angle between the telescope axis and the rotation axis of the spacecraft. Both servomotors comprise a part of the loop of the servo system positioning the sun seeker and hence the sun tracking telescope in alignment with the sun rays. in the hollow. gimbals attaching the surttracking. telescope .to

the satellite body two sets of slip ring assemblies 38 and 39 are necessary. The first set 38 carries the electrical signals going to the tilt drive mechanism 37 located in the first ring of the gimbals and also those going through the second set of slip rings 39 into the second or inner ring of the gimbals and onto the laser and sun seeker.

lt has previously been mentioned that the folding mirror 28 traverses in angle one-half the angle traversed by the telescope 13 to always maintain the proper reflection of the laser beam from the axis of the telescope 35 to the rotation axis of the satellite 12. This is accomplished by conventional 2 to 1 gear boxes 40 and 41. (Direct drive torque motors may also be used.) While only one gear box is required to provide the necessary drive action, generally slightly better alignment accuracy is obtained using two, one at each side of the folding mirror. The shaft attached to the mirror 28 turns on bearing surfaces inside the larger hollow shaft attached to the telescope 13. The inner shaft is driven in rotation by the outer shaft through the planetary reduction gearing in the gear boxes 40 and 41. The gimbals attaching the receiver tracking telescope to the satellite are identical in configuration with those described for the sun tracking telescope except slip ring assembly 30 is not needed since for this invention the earth tracking telescope does not contain electrical signal generating or utilizing elements.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show schematically two representative embodiments of sun pumped laser configurations. The means for actuating the sun tracking telescopes 45 and 55, including the sun seeker elements 46 and 56. are as previously disclosed. Likewise, the directing of the laser beams 47 and 57 from the telescope through the satellite and onto the earth or other spacecraft are as previously disclosed. The optical system shown in FIG. 4, comprising the primary collector mirror element 48, the secondary collector reflecting element 49, and the focusing lens element 50, is the conventional Cassegrain type of structure. The secondary collector 49 has on the laser side an optical surface which is highly (effectively 99+% reflective at the laser pumping frequency, such as, within the 7,3OOA., to 9,000A., band and transmissive to other wavelengths. The other side of element 49 is highly reflective to all wavelengths. By using such optical surfaces the useless solar energy transferred into the laser system is substantially reduced thereby reducing the thermal load on the laser system to be dissipated. Such coatings are commercially available and well known in the cold mirror" art. The laser system comprising the solid state laser rod element 51, the laser mirror elements 52 and 53, and the mode locking or single frequency element 54 (if used). are all conventional elements. Their structure and the techniques of their use are all well known. The laser rod 51 is surrounded by the heat sink 55. In

this particular embodiment heat-pipe structure 56 is used to transfer the heat energy from the heat sink 55 to the conventional black body thermal radiator 57. In some embodiments. depending on the particular laser used and the amount of heat to be removed from the laser and dissipated. the heat pipe structure 56 may not be needed and direct thermal contact from the laser heat sink 55 to the radiator 57 may be used as shown in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5.

ln the embodiment illustrated schematically in FIG. 5 the solar radiation is concentrated in the laser rod 60 by the cone field lens 61 and the light concentrating conc 62. The laser optical cavity totally reflecting mirror 63 defining one end of the optical cavity, is positioned on the back side of the cone field lens in this embodiment instead of on the end of the laser rod as in the embodiment of FIG. 4. (The mirror 52, of FIG. 4. is reflective to the laser light frequency and substantially transmissive to pumping frequency of the sun light.) Mode locking or single frequency element 64 and laser output mirror 65 are similar to the previously described embodiment. This laser structure is well known in the art and further described in the previously mentioned prior art referenced publication AD-737787. The heat sink 66 transfers the dissipated heat energy from the laser rod to the deep space radiating surface 67 by direct thermal conduction.

One particular embodiment of the invention has a Nd:YAG laser rod element. Approximately 400 watts of incident solar energy is available at the effective optical antenna. that is, the opening at the sun end of the sun tracking telescope which is about 0.32 meter in diameter. The useful laser output from the system is approximately 1 watt. Approximately 20 watts of thermal power was dissipated and radiated to deep space. The laser was maintained at approximately a temperature of 0C. The laser mirror at the sun end of the laser was highly reflective at substantially 1.06 microns, (the laser frequency) and highly transmissive in the pump bands of 7,3OOA., to 9,000A. Selective reflective and antireflective coatings are well known as is their use in laser optical cavities. Generally the pump cavity surfaces should be highly reflective at the pump bands (such as 7.9OOA to l0,000A.) with a wide enough bandwidth to allow for reflection at various angles of incidence. and transmissive at all other wavelengths so that unwanted radiation energy may be deposited in the substrait structure and removed as heat.

We claim:

1. A laser communication system for transmitting a signal from a spacecraft to a remote receiver, said spacecraft having an axis of rotation, comprising:

a. a first set of hollow gimbals mounted on said spacecraft on the said axis of rotation;

b. a second set of hollow gimbals mounted on said space-craft on the said axis of rotation in spaced apart relationship to the said first set of gimbals;

c. a sun tracking telescope attached to the said first set of gimbals;

d. a remote receiver tracking telescope attached to the said second set of gimbals;

e. a solar pumped laser positioned in the said sun tracking telescope for receiving rays from the sun and generating a laser beam;

f. a heat sink cooperating with the said solar pumped laser positioned in the said sun tracking telescope radiating heat energy into deep space;

g. means for directing the said laser beam from the said sun tracking telescope, through the said first hollow gimbals, through the said second hollow gimbals, and through the said receiver tracking telescope to the said remote receiver;

h. a polarization rotation crystal;

i. means responsive to the said signal to be transmitted to the remote receiver for modulating the said laser beam;

j. means for passing the said laser beam through the polarization rotation crystal and the said modulation means in succession; and

k. means cooperating with the said polarization rotation crystal for maintaining a constant relative polarization of the said laser beam incident on the said modulation means.

2. The laser communication system as claimed in ciaim 1 wherein a sun seeker detector is positioned in the said sun tracking telescope and means cooperates with the said sun seeker for directing the sun tracking telescope toward the sun.

3. The laser communication system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the said means for directing the laser beam directs the beam from the said first gimbals to the said second gimbals along the said axis of rotation of the spacecraft.

4. The laser communication system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the said solar pumped laser is an end pumped laser.

5. The laser communication system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the said first gimbals have a folding mirror responsive in a one to two relationship with the angular displacement of the said sun tracking telescope from the axis of rotation of the spacecraft for directing the said laser beam from the sun tracking telescope to a direction along the said axis of rotation of the spacecraft, and the said second gimbals have a folding mirror responsive in a one to two relationship with the angular displacement of the said remote receiver tracking telescope from the axis of rotation of the spacecraft for directing the said laser beam from along the said axis of rotation of the spacecraft to the said remote receiver tracking telescope.

I It t 

1. A laser communication system for transmitting a signal from a spacecraft to a remote receiver, said spacecraft having an axis of rotation, comprising: a. a first set of hollow gimbals mounted on said space-craft on the said axis of rotation; b. a second set of hollow gimbals mounted on said space-craft on the said axis of rotation in spaced apart relationship to the said first set of gimbals; c. a sun tracking telescope attached to the said first set of gimbals; d. a remote receiver trackIng telescope attached to the said second set of gimbals; e. a solar pumped laser positioned in the said sun tracking telescope for receiving rays from the sun and generating a laser beam; f. a heat sink cooperating with the said solar pumped laser positioned in the said sun tracking telescope radiating heat energy into deep space; g. means for directing the said laser beam from the said sun tracking telescope, through the said first hollow gimbals, through the said second hollow gimbals, and through the said receiver tracking telescope to the said remote receiver; h. a polarization rotation crystal; i. means responsive to the said signal to be transmitted to the remote receiver for modulating the said laser beam; j. means for passing the said laser beam through the polarization rotation crystal and the said modulation means in succession; and k. means cooperating with the said polarization rotation crystal for maintaining a constant relative polarization of the said laser beam incident on the said modulation means.
 2. The laser communication system as claimed in claim 1 wherein a sun seeker detector is positioned in the said sun tracking telescope and means cooperates with the said sun seeker for directing the sun tracking telescope toward the sun.
 3. The laser communication system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the said means for directing the laser beam directs the beam from the said first gimbals to the said second gimbals along the said axis of rotation of the spacecraft.
 4. The laser communication system as claimed in claim 3 wherein the said solar pumped laser is an end pumped laser.
 5. The laser communication system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the said first gimbals have a folding mirror responsive in a one to two relationship with the angular displacement of the said sun tracking telescope from the axis of rotation of the spacecraft for directing the said laser beam from the sun tracking telescope to a direction along the said axis of rotation of the spacecraft, and the said second gimbals have a folding mirror responsive in a one to two relationship with the angular displacement of the said remote receiver tracking telescope from the axis of rotation of the spacecraft for directing the said laser beam from along the said axis of rotation of the spacecraft to the said remote receiver tracking telescope. 